History ch 3

insure domestic Tranquility:

One of the main reasons why the Constitutional Convention was held was because of Shays' Rebellion. This was an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts against the state for having to repay war debts. Citizens were worried with the keeping peace within the country's borders.

Laws passed by AOC (2)

Ordinance of 1785 and Northwest Ordinance

Anti-Federalists:

those who opposed ratification of the Constitution

What was James Madison's proposal at the CC?:

to have 3 branches of government- judicial, executive, and legislative.

Reasons for the AOC (3)

- Americans feared a strong federal government, - created a firm league of friendship - thought a smaller government would bring more freedom and liberties

New Jersey Plan

- Legislative- 1 house - each state has 1 vote - small states like it, but big states didn't

Problems with the AOC (4)-

- Only 1 branch of government - Lawmaking, 9 of 13 states had to agree to make a law - No Taxes, congress could declare war, build army, make postal system, & print money - AOC couldn't be amended/couldn't be changed

Why did smaller states fear that the Virginia Plan might lead to their domination by the larger states?

- because the representation of each state was based on population, so they large states would have more power than the smaller states

Virginia Plan

- called for a new national government - 3 separate branches of government - representation in legislative branch based on population - big states liked it, small states didn't

Great Compromise

- legislative- 2 houses (house of representatives and house of senates) - house- based on population of state - senate- 2 senators per state

What are the 6 basic principles underlying the US Constitution and what do they mean?

- populace sovereignty- people are the only source of the government's power

Why did the Virginia Plan propose a new plan of government?

- the Articles of Confederation was not working so they had to throw it out and start and new government

(3) Branches of the Federal Government and their purpose:

-Legislative -makes the laws -Executive-carries out laws -Judicial-interprets laws

Issues (3) that divided the delegates at the Constitutional Convention:

1. The power of the federal government- would the states or federal government have the most power? 2. Representation in congress- how many members on congress would each state get? 3. Slavery- how would slaves be counted and would slave trade continue

Early State Constitutions-

A constitution for each of the 13 states.. First state was New Hampshire

Bicameral legislature

A legislature consisting of 2 parts or houses

Bill of Rights (Amendment #)

Bill of Rights Amendments: 1-10

Civil War Amendments (Amendment #)

Civil War Amendments: 13-15

Article IV:

Deals with relationships between states

Why did George Washington preside over the CC?-

George W presided the CC because he was a good leader and he was trusted by a lot of people.

Electoral College

Group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and Vice President

Three-Fifths Compromise

Made each slave worth 3/5 of a vote in deciding numbers in House of Representatives

(3) Parts of the Constitution:

Preamble, articles, amendments

Article V:

Provides methods for amending the constitution

Compare/Contrast the AOC and Constitution in terms of how much power the state and national government have

The AOC did not give the people as much power.

The Later Amendments (Amendment #)

The Later Amendments: 16-27

We the People:

all the citizens of the United States of America

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the US

secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity:

The point of this phrase in the Preamble, and the constitution as a whole was to help protect the country's hard-earned rights for liberty, unjust laws, and freedom from a tyrannical government.

establish Justice:

The reasons why there was Revolution against England were still important to the American citizens, so they wanted to make sure that they would have justice under the Constitution.

provide for the common defense

There was still a chance of being attacked by other countries. No individual state had the power to defend itself against attacks. Because of this, the Framers knew that it was important for the states to defend the nation together.

do ordain and establish

This last phrase of the Preamble is a powerful statement saying that the people made this document, and the people give the country its power.

promote the general Welfare

This phrase meant that the well-being of the citizens would be taken care of as well as possible by the Federal government.

How can we amend the Constitution? Which method has been used the most?

We can amend the constitution by using the 4 methods. Method 1 is used the most.

Constitution

a detailed, written plan for government

Shay's Rebellion-

a series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt.

Article II:

executive branch- lays out power and structure of the executive branch

Article III:

judicial branch- establishes a national judiciary and gives congress the power to create additional court systems

Article I:

legislative branch- lays out power and structure of the legislative branch

Federalists

supporters of the constitution

Informal Amendments

the Constitution does not specifically list these processes as forms of amending the Constitution, but because of change in society or judicial review changed the rule of law de facto.

ratification

the confirmation or adoption of an act that has already been performed

Federalism

the federal principle or system of government

Confederation Congress

the legislative branch of government established by the Articles of Confederation of the newly independent United States of America.

Constitutional Convention (CC) - Who, What, When, Where, Why (Purpose)-

where/when: 1787- philadelphia- independence hall what: convention to improve the Articles of Confederation why: the AOC was not working who: delegates from all states (except Rhode Island)- George Washington lead it, James Madison kept notes on the discussions, and the men who wrote the constitution were the founding fathers (55 delegates attended)